Avengers Anonymous
by booksandhockey
Summary: Sequel to Behind the Mask...featuring the Avengers and new member Spiderman! (Yay!)
1. Chapter 1

_**AVENGERS ANONYMOUS **_

_ONE: RECRUITED_

_**Wow, now that I look at that title it sounds terrible...got any better ideas? I'm not very good with titles. Anyway, here's the sequel! I posted the first chapter here and I'll create a new story when the second chapter comes around. I hope you like it!***_

* * *

..::..

Chills went down my spine again. I tucked my arms tighter around my middle, staring dreadfully at the beacon that was the Stark Tower. It practically emitted its own glow that extended for miles and miles, illuminating half the city.

Tony Stark was waiting for us to visit. He invited us himself and in person, something he wasn't generally known for. And we still didn't know how he found out Peter's secret identity, but we assumed he was still safe from any harm...for now, anyway.

Peter was sitting on the ledge of the roof to our building, wearing the Spider suit. He tilted his head back at me. "You ready?"

I walked over to the ledge, a frown of fear on my face. "Why do I keep agreeing to do this?"

"Because you love me." Peter said, simple as anything. He briskly jumped to his feet and helped me up on the ledge.

"Yes, I agree to leap off of ten story buildings because I love you." I secured myself in a grip around his side, waiting for his arm to act as my seatbelt.

"Nah, I think deep down inside you're a thrill-seeking adrenaline junkie that lives for this stuff." His arm fit perfectly around me, like it was molded to do so.

"Or maybe I'm just Spiderman's girlfriend." I countered, taking another deep breath in preparation.

"Exactly." He chuckled.

The anticipation was terrible. I looked over at the tower again. "What do you think he wants?"

He spoke low in his chest. "I might have a good guess, but..."

"Huh?" I gasped as we suddenly dipped very low, off the ledge, and swung up again with the help of Peter's web shooters. My eyes automatically squinted shut.

"Open your eyes!" He encouraged me as my stomach felt another dip.

I shook my head, hiding my face in his shoulder and clawing into his suit. Did he want me to throw up?

"Come on, you'll love it!"

"No!"

"It's like a roller coaster! You like roller coasters, don't you?"

"Shut up, Peter!"

He kept hooting and hollering like a kid at an amusement park. Honestly, it was embarrassing.

It almost wasn't worth taming the haystack on my head when we landed on Stark's balcony - if you could call it that. It was more like a giant patio, suspended a hundred feet from the ground.

Peter held my face in his hands to make sure I was still breathing. "How's my adrenaline junkie?"

"I'll let you know when my stomach gets here." I said.

He tugged off his mask just to show me his smile and kiss me like he knew it made it all better. I would never let him know it did.

"Uh, ew."

We stumbled apart at the voice. Tony Stark strolled out onto the patio with a drink in his hand, the glowing circle of light shining through his shirt.

"Sorry we're late, Mr. Stark." Peter took the few steps up to the man and offered his hand.

"Well we all know why you're late now, don't we?" Tony peered at me teasingly. "All I ask is you keep it classy, but just while you're here. You can do whatever you want on your own time."

After Tony started leading the way, Peter turned to raise his eyebrows at me. What did we just walk into?

I caught up to him before we went inside. "Why do you think he wants to talk to you?" I whispered.

Peter looked down at me with a blank expression, his jaw set a little funny but otherwise just in thought. "I don't know, we'll see." The lie was so obvious, but I let it go.

"Welcome to my humble abode." Tony extended his arm in admiration of his own penthouse suite. It was really incredible, entirely modern and high-tech.

"Wow." I voiced my opinion. I also shed my jacket, unintentionally revealing the bandage still taped to my arm.

"Battle wound?" Tony guessed, gesturing toward my shoulder.

It still unsettled me to recall the memories from that day. "I, uh..."

"She was grazed by a bullet." Peter finished, with the intention of changing the subject. It unsettled him as well.

"Can't say I'm not impressed. Oh, did you want a drink, or something?" Tony stepped in the direction of his bar.

"No, thank you." Peter and I said in synchronization. We glanced at each other at the coincidence.

"God, that's disgusting. It's that bad? Don't tell me you finish each other's sentences, too?"

We didn't get a chance to respond. A woman with pretty orange hair appeared at the head of the curved staircase. "Tony, Nick wants to know when you would like everyone in town."

Tony scoffed. "I told him I'd get back to him when I figured it out. I'm still recruiting here." He jerked his chin towards Peter and I, standing awkwardly off to the side.

The woman followed Tony's gesture and brightened up right away. "Oh, you must be Peter Parker! I'm sorry to interrupt, I didn't know you were coming so soon!" She scurried over to the two of us, offering her hand to him. "I'm Pepper Potts, Tony's -"

"Pepper, we talked about this, didn't we?" Tony tapped her shoulder. "No mushy stuff until we got him hooked in."

Pepper controlled her kind smile and nodded at us. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Parker." She flashed me an extra smile and made her way back up the staircase to return that phone call. She paused halfway up. "Nice spider suit." She said.

Peter smiled down at the ground. Tony rolled his eyes. I already knew his spider suit was nice.

I flinched at some sort of metal claw that was peeking over my shoulder. It seemed to flinch as well. In stepping back I realized it had a large arm, and wheels. A robot that responded like a human.

Peter's eyes widened. "Incredible!"

"Cute, isn't he? Made him myself. He's programmed to cater to my house guests, and me too." Tony stood like a proud papa.

Peter bent down to get a closer look. He reached out to touch the crazy little robot. "The wiring is so tight and precise. How'd you manage to hide the mother board inside such a sleek design?"

"Easy. Just rearrange the hard drives and battery units to rest in the base of the lower platform and save the flexible cords and motion sensors for the jointed arm piece."

Peter nodded because, unlike me, he understood every word Tony had just said like it was plain English. "Genius." He breathed.

To prevent my brain from melting from their tech talk, I wandered in the direction of a glass case that preserved the legendary iron suit. The gold and red pieces were bold and intimidating. I'd never seen anything like it.

"Excuse me, sir?" A voice with a funny accent echoed through the room.

"Yes, Jarvis?" Tony vaguely answered it back.

"Director Fury would like to speak with you about the -"

"You tell Fury to keep his eyepatch on and that I'll get back to him really soon, okay?" Tony clapped his hands together, a motion that meant getting down to business. "Alright, Parker. We obviously need to talk about a few things here."

Peter straightened up slowly, his attention still occupied by Tony's robot. I had to physically drag him away from it.

Tony looked at me, snapping his fingers after forgetting my name.

"Olivia." I reminded him.

"Right, right. You obviously know about his super bug powers?"

"Yes." I said warily, unsure of how blunt I was allowed to be. "But if you don't mind me asking...how do you know?"

"How do I know?" Tony smiled at both of us. "You really have no idea why you're here, do you?"

I looked at Peter again, that same thoughtful expression on his face. He definitely knew, or at least had a good guess. Why wouldn't he tell me?

Tony spoke matter-of-factly. "You see, we have this team, a team put together by Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. Apparently we're calling ourselves the Avengers."

"Earth's mightiest heroes." Peter agreed.

"Right, so we'd all love for you to bring your nifty little Spidey powers into the mix, if you're interested. Actually, I don't think you really have a choice."

"The Avengers?" I couldn't seem to keep my jaw from dropping. "You mean like Thor and Captain America and the Hulk and Hawkeye and Black Widow?"

Peter stared at me again.

"And me." Tony added.

"You want him to - to join the Avengers?" I pointed to Peter with my jaw still hanging open.

"Well it wasn't _my_ idea." Tony shrugged it off. "Fury mentioned something about it and since you're in the neighborhood I figured I'd let you know he's willing to go to hell and back to get you to join so you might as well say yes now because he'll probably be here in a little under 48 hours with the rest of our super freaks."

Peter blinked. "They want me that badly?"

"_We_ do, yes. And I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to boost some of your publicity, considering what's been going on with you in the past few weeks." Tony means the anti-Spiderman gangs that we've come across and the citizens that the hatred has rubbed off on. "Not that I've been stalking you or anything...okay, maybe I have, but that's beside the point."

It was great news! I was prepared to start jumping up and down. I was really excited enough for the both of us, but Peter didn't seem to react much at all. He kept his composure like he always did, but this time I couldn't even see the excitement glowing in his eyes.

I took hold of Peter's hand but spoke to Tony. "Do you mind if we talk about this for a minute?"

Tony nodded like he expected a delay in our answer. He occupied himself with that crazy little robot, talking to it like a human being.

I ran my fingers up Peter's arm to catch his attention again. "What are you thinking?"

He opened his mouth, ready to speak, but shut his lips again just as fast.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know, I..." He lost his words.

"He's right, you know. Joining them will totally boost your publicity. You kind of need that right now."

Peter nodded. "I know."

"It'll give you something to do, distract you from everything that's been going on, since you have to lie low anyway." I added.

Peter watched Tony play with his cool toys. "I know."

"And it's an honor! I always knew you were one of Earth's mightiest heroes, but now you can make it official."

He half rolled his eyes at me, but I could tell he completely agreed.

"Tell you what," Tony approached us again. "I'll let you sleep on it, and then you can -"

"It's alright." Peter interrupted him, squeezing my hand in support of himself. He didn't hesitate a bit. "I'm in."


	2. Chapter 2

_**AVENGERS ANONYMOUS**_

_TWO: ABANDONED_

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.:::.

I still couldn't believe it.

The Avengers.

I wondered if they would properly introduce him to the public. Maybe he would finally be able to make that appearance at Toy's 'R Us. He'd be able to play with Tony Stark's cool toys, and he'd get to actually speak with Dr. Bruce Banner. Maybe I would get to meet the god of thunder, or dive into those lovely pools of blue that were Captain America's eyes. Maybe Peter would get a cool new suit.

"I don't want a new suit." Peter said, and that's when I realized I was saying all these things out loud. "Why do you think I need a new suit? I thought you liked my suit?"

"I do like your suit." I said, stirring the sugar into my cup of tea. "I just thought you might want something new. You know, to meet the occasion."

"But why do I need a new suit? Mine's perfectly fine."

"I was just saying -"

"I don't want a new suit." He told me, drawing a few eyes from the people around us at the diner. I couldn't help but notice his change from need to want.

"Okay, okay." I smiled at his persistence, though he was still frowning down at his blueberry muffin. "Lighten up, I'm only kidding."

He stared down at that muffin for another moment before crumbling his napkin and getting up from the table.

"Wait, where are you going? Peter?" I stood up halfway.

"I just need some time to think. Finish your tea, and I'll see you later, okay?" He dropped a handful of money on the table.

"Peter, no, I was only kidding,"

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. I'll come over later and we can walk the dog." He was obviously distressed, and I couldn't let him walk out like that.

"I'm done anyway. We can go."

"No."

I hesitated briefly, starting to become concerned with his behavior.

He sighed, and he actually seemed kind of annoyed. "I'm fine."

"Is this one of those times when you insist on wandering around the city like a lost tourist?" I asked, recalling that night he put me through hell...but made up for it the next morning.

Peter cupped my face in his hands and kissed the corner of my mouth a few times. "Look, I love you, but I just have to go clear my head for a while. I'll see you later." He kissed me again and spun on his heels before I could follow him.

Was it something I said?

. . . . . . . .

It looked like it would start raining, which didn't call for a walk in Central Park, but I did it anyway. The clouds were fluffy but gray enough to produce a rain shower. I hoped he made it back before it rained.

Onyx tugged on the leash, spotting the open grassy area ahead of us. I unhooked her leash and allowed her to frolic freely.

I'd only had the dog for a short time, but I already loved her like she was always mine. It was nice to have someone to keep me company when Peter was busy, or just clearing his head.

I stood watching her chase a squirrel up a tree when I felt the first sprinkles of rain on my cheeks. I spotted a gazebo nearby and headed towards it, calling Onyx's name. It began raining harder, and I called her name louder.

I ran to make it under the gazebo before it really started raining, but Onyx was still busy sniffing at the tree.

"Onyx! Come here, girl!" I clapped my hands for extra emphasis.

Her ears perked up and she looked in my direction, but a man in a hoodie caught her attention as he ran by, away from me.

"No," I mumbled to myself. "Onyx! Stop!" She started trotting after him despite my efforts.

I looked closer at the man jogging and wondered for a moment if he could have been Peter. He had said he wanted to walk the dog with me. This man looked kind of similar, although anyone can look alike wearing a hoodie. But Onyx wouldn't just run after a complete stranger, would she?

"Onyx!" I darted back out into the rain after the two of them. Thankfully, the man noticed the dog at his side and stopped running. I caught a quick glimpse of his face, enough to realize it wasn't Peter.

I was out of breathe when I reached them, ignoring the rain already soaked through to my skin. "Onyx," I sighed, clipping the leash back to her collar.

"Friendly dog you have there." The man said to me.

I chuckled. "Maybe a little too friendly." I looked up at him for the first time, rain dripping into my eyes and off of my nose. He looked familiar, but it took me a moment to recognize him. "Oh, you're...you're Hawkeye!"

He shrugged. "I guess my disguise didn't work very well, did it?"

Now I was stuttering. "I'm - I'm sorry, I just - Wow!" I laughed like an idiot at myself. "I didn't expect to see you here - I mean -"

"Stark called us all in for something." He played along, giving me the answer that would satisfy the average citizen. "It's supposed to be a surprise." He winked at me.

"A surprise?" I knew Peter wouldn't be thrilled about that. "That sounds interesting."

"Sure, if you're interested in the type of surprises Tony Stark pulls out of his -"

"Olivia!" I spun at the sound of my name. Speaking of Stark's surprise...

I turned back to Hawkeye, being pulled by my dog in Peter's direction. "It was nice meeting you!"

He waved and started jogging off in the opposite direction.

Peter pointed to a tree that could serve as a temporary shelter. I met him there, wiping the excess rain off my forehead. "What are you doing here? It's raining."

"I went back to see if you still wanted to go for a walk, but when you weren't there I assumed you came without me." He ran his fingers through his wet head of hair. "I didn't know it would start raining."

I looked down at Onyx as she plopped herself at our feet. "I didn't think you were coming."

We were quiet for a minute, watching the rain soak some other people caught in the park. He'd been gone for hours, and after he abandoned me at the diner I didn't feel guilty leaving without him.

"Who was that?" Peter suddenly asked me. "That guy you were talking to?"

I debated whether I should tell him or not. "I think it was Hawkeye."

He scoffed. "You're kidding."

"They must be in town already. Or just starting to get here." I saw his face turn downward again. "He said Stark has a surprise for them."

"A surprise?" Peter didn't get it right away. Then he blinked. "Oh."

I leaned my back against the trunk of the tree. "Is that what's bothering you? Joining them?"

He did the same, his shoulder touching mine. "I'm still not really sure...about all that."

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"I know."

"And you shouldn't let Stark make any decisions for you."

"I know."

"So what's not to be sure about?"

He stopped talking, bottling up whatever he was feeling inside. In a way, it hurt me. We were supposed to be able to share everything with each other.

"If something was really bothering you," I began, watching his face closely. "You would tell me, wouldn't you?"

He nodded a wordless response.

It didn't seem like the rain was going to slow anytime soon. Peter made this assumption the same time I did and took the few steps back out into the downpour.

"What are you doing?" I asked, feeling a chill in the air from being damp.

He shrugged, standing there like buckets of rain weren't falling on his head. "We don't have time to hide under a tree."

He was right. We were supposed to be back at Stark's Tower for dinner, a meal we would be sharing with the Avengers themselves. I could hardly believe I'd forgotten about that.

He started walking away without me.

"Wait up!" I grabbed the dog's leash and she followed me willingly out into the rain. When I reached him, I yanked on his shoulder to spin him around. He watched me, curiosity furrowing his eyebrows.

I reached my hand around his neck. For some reason, I was nervous, like this was my first time kissing him. I slowly matched the space between us and touched his lips with my own, sinking my fingers into his dripping wet t-shirt, because every girl needs to be able to say she's been kissed in the rain.

Peter immediately jumped right into that kiss. I could taste the rain water dripping down his face and feel it splashing off his cheeks. One of his hands tangled in my knotty hair, and the other hovered to be sure my chin stayed in place. That kiss stayed slow and sensual and perfect all the way through.

I subconsciously wondered if we were creating steam.

Onyx was obviously jealous since she pounced up on my hip, smearing her muddy paws all over my jeans. I didn't mind it, but as much as I wanted to, we couldn't stay there forever.

I turned my face into his neck. "We're going to be late."

He guided my chin upwards again. "No, we won't." And like always, I believed him.

. . . . . . . .

We were so late it wasn't even funny.

Of course, upon returning to Peter's apartment and washing the dog, we were left to shed our own soaking wet clothes...well, one thing led to another and now we were landing on Stark's balcony almost thirty minutes late.

"You started it." Peter jabbed at me again, fixing the collar of his blue dress shirt. It took us even longer to get there because he couldn't wear the spider suit this time. Those dark alleyways we took seemed endless.

"I tried to stop it!" I reminded him, smoothing down my own dress. "You and your stupid hormones overpowered me again."

He snorted. "It takes two to tango."

I shook my head, making my way toward the glass doors. "I can't believe you just said that."

"Well it's true! Now we have to walk in and interrupt everything."

"Maybe you should have thought of that earlier when you left me stranded at the diner."

"Maybe you shouldn't have went for a walk in the park during a monsoon."

"Maybe you should just learn to keep your pants on and we won't have to be late again!"

I did not even attempt to filter that last part, and I definitely should have. I said it right as I opened the door and exposed us to the people waiting inside.

But they weren't just ordinary people, now were they?


	3. Chapter 3

_**AVENGERS ANONYMOUS **_

_THREE: INTRODUCED_

****Hey there! I'm super excited about this story! Thanks for supporting me so far!****

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.:::.

"There you are!" Tony Stark suppressed a smirk. "Glad the two of you could join us."

I felt my skin come to a nice red flush.

Each one of them had the same look; a mixture of amusement and pity and embarrassment, all for Peter and I. I took in each face around the table, all of them except Thor. Dressed in normal clothes, they almost seemed like normal people. Almost.

Dr. Banner was seated at the end, his mixture of looks less noticeable. I recognized Hawkeye from the park and prayed to the heavens he didn't recognize me. Black Widow didn't try as hard as Captain America to hide her smile. He politely kept his gaze down and away from the two of us.

A man I didn't notice at first rose from the seat beside Tony. I automatically feared that eyepatch on his face. "You're Peter Parker?" He asked with strong disbelief.

I bumped Peter's arm when he forgot to answer. "Yes...sir."

The man with the eyepatch folded his hands behind his back and walked up to us, looking Peter up and down. He spun back to Tony. "Seriously?"

"Is there a problem, Fury?"

Fury cocked his head to the side, staring at Peter some more. Peter shifted uncomfortably. I didn't think he was breathing.

Fury's unpatched eye suddenly flickered over to me. "And who might you be?"

It was Peter's turn to bump me. "Oh, I'm Olivia." I held out my hand like a fool.

Fury nodded once and then walked back to his seat, leaving me hanging. "Why don't you introduce yourself to everyone?"

Their eyes flew to me like a magnet - me, not Peter. What made me so damn interesting? I was only human.

Thankfully, after a moment of mutual staring, Dr. Banner raised himself from his seat. "I've heard some great things about you, Peter." He firmly shook Peter's hand, nodding once to acknowledge me. It was difficult to picture the man transformed into that giant green monster. He seemed so laid back and harmless.

"I can say the same about you, doctor." Peter's face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.

I didn't even notice Captain America step up behind him. "Captain Steve Rogers. Welcome aboard." Another firm handshake for Peter...but then those brilliantly bright blue eyes directed themselves over to me. "You too, ma'am."

As if I wasn't blushing already.

The only woman on their team approached next. "Natasha Romanov." Her handshake was quick and simple. She sort of smirked at me. "It'll be nice to have some more estrogen around here."

I laughed a nervous laugh, which won me an odd look.

And to make matters worse, Hawkeye stepped around Natasha to shake Peter's hand next. "Good to have you. Clint Barton." He knew I was anticipating the recognition. "How's your dog?" He asked me. I could hear the amusement in his voice.

"She's fine, thanks." I said quietly.

"So will you be joining us, too? Do you have a suit?"

I laughed again at what I thought was a joke, but he didn't laugh with me. Even Peter's smile faded away when he realized Hawkeye was seriously asking if I had any superpowers.

"Oh, no, I'm not..." I trailed off, my eyes finding Tony for some reason.

"They're a packaged deal." He explained, coming around to put a hand on each of our shoulders. "It's some sort of romantic spider thing."

"Oh, right." Hawkeye smirked again. "Isn't the black widow a species of spider?" He turned to Natasha, already seated.

She shook her head. "Don't go there, Barton."

"He's right." Dr. Banner agreed. "The black widow is the most venomous spider in North America. They're also cannibalistic. Females are known for immediately devouring their male counterparts after mating."

"Well, let's be thankful the roles aren't reversed." Tony pat us both on the shoulders and walked away.

Peter and I looked at each other and quickly averted our eyes again. Clint and Natasha both nearly snorted in laughter.

"Speaking of devouring things," Fury thankfully took the attention away. "Let's eat, shall we?"

. . . . . . . .

Peter and I only had a moment alone after we'd finished eating.

"This is awful." I dropped my face in my hands. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not awful." He tried to reassure me. "What did you expect?"

"They think we're weird."

"No, they think you're weird."

I sighed. "Peter,"

"Relax, would you?" He brushed my hair behind my shoulder. "They can smell your fear." He whispered to me.

"Parker, come over here, you'll like this." Tony waved him over to some sort of holographic screen. Dr. Banner was standing beside him.

Peter provided me with one of his encouraging smiles before abandoning me...again. I stayed where I was, wandering around and away from the others. I couldn't just walk over and sit down on a million dollar sofa between Captain America and Director Fury, could I?

I saw them glancing back at me, whispering and smirking, but maybe I was being paranoid. Was Peter right? Could they smell my fear? My skin flushed red almost instantly. I just wanted to go home.

"Hey, Olivia?" Clint spoke for the three of them. "We have some questions for you, if you don't mind."

I was almost compelled to obey his request to join them, even though I would rather sit by myself in a corner until Peter came back. I looked over at him again, still hypnotized by whatever it was Stark had on that screen.

"We don't bite." Natasha told me.

I put on my big girl pants and I did, in fact, sit on the sofa between the Captain and the Director. They left lots of room for me in the middle cushion, though I sat straight and stiff on the edge of it.

And then they stared at me...again. Why the hell were they staring at me?

"Fury says Parker can crawl up walls like a real spider." Clint stated.

Their stares were waiting for an answer. I nodded. "He can."

"With his bare hands?" Steve leaned forward in his seat.

"He says it has to do with the inter-atomic attractive forces, or something." I shook my head unknowingly.

"It's complicated." Fury summarized, taking a sip of his drink.

"And what about the web thing?"

"He invented that himself." I explained. "I'm not really sure how that works...but it comes in handy." I felt my cheeks grow warm again.

"Sounds like he can send Banner on a run for his money." Natasha said, eyeing the three of them. She was a beautiful woman, now that I had a chance to look at her. A beautiful woman that was also a master assassin.

"From what we've heard, he could easily be the next Bruce Banner." Steve complimented.

"If he actually found the time to do his schoolwork, maybe you'd be right." I shrugged to myself.

I looked shyly over at Steve, but he was grimacing at my arm. "What happened there?"

I took off the bandage on my shoulder before I left because it stuck out like a sore thumb with the dress I was wearing, and I didn't want to draw any more attention to myself. It was just beginning to heal, but it was still a little too fresh to remove the bandage.

I tried turning away to shield it from view, but it didn't do much. "It's kind of a long story..." One that I didn't feel like explaining.

"Olivia." Peter saved me from across the room.

I gave them all a parting smile and hurried over to where Peter was standing with Dr. Banner and Tony. The holographic screen was actually interactive, and Tony pulled out a three-dimensional model of a strand of DNA.

Dr. Banner stepped to his left to allow me to see what they'd been discussing. "I understand that both Peter and I are the way we are due to a genetic mutation, his the result of a spider bite and mine from exposure to high levels of radiation?" He asked, though it wasn't really as much a question as clarification.

I nodded anyway.

"The only real difference between them is that Parker can control himself and Bruce just..." Tony watched Dr. Banner staring back at him, his mouth in a straight line. "You know." He finished.

"Well, after comparing the strands and patterns," Dr. Banner took another piece of the hologram into the palm of his hand. "And after conducting extensive research, I may be able to pinpoint the locations of the genes that allow Peter to work cooperatively with his mutation and transfer the sequence into my own genetic structure."

By the tone of his voice, it sounded like a scientific breakthrough, if only I knew what he was saying.

"Oh," I looked up at Peter sheepishly.

"Basically, he'll be able to find a cure for his...Hulk." He translated for me.

"Oh!" I turned back to Dr. Banner. "That's great!"

His smile was warm. "Of course, I could use some help deciphering the DNA code -"

"No problem." Peter said, returning that warm smile.

I barely so much as blinked before I looked at Peter again, his hand extended and catching an arrow right out of the air, before it managed to hit the back of his head.

I looked in the opposite direction and found Hawkeye with his fancy archery set, a look of surprise on his face.

"What the hell was that?" Tony held out his arms accusingly. "You can't do that indoors, are you crazy?"

Clint dropped his bow to his side. "Fury says he has spider senses. " He looked back and forth between us. "So it's all true, then?"


	4. Chapter 4

_**AVENGERS ANONYMOUS**_

_FOUR: VISITED_

* * *

_.:::._

Peter landed in a huge puddle that had formed from the huge rainstorm earlier that day. The water splashed up our shins and to our knees, dampening the bottom hem of my dress.

"Peter," I whined, exhausted to the point where the smallest irritation was bound to upset me.

"Sorry. Wasn't paying attention." He put me down on the outside of the puddle, then stepped out of it himself.

I hugged myself closely trying to avoid the grungy dumpster beside me. "We should've just taken a cab. You know, like normal people."

"Aunt May lives just down the street from here. We don't have to stay long, I just want to stop by." He held my hand, leading me down the alleyway and back onto the street. We had to walk the rest of the way to seem inconspicuous, nothing I wasn't used to.

"I don't mind." I told him, even though part of me just wanted my bed. "I'm excited to meet her."

He looked over at me and smiled slightly. "Just remember that she still doesn't know about me."

I nodded. "Right." I worried I would slip up, but I couldn't. I wouldn't let my occasional stupidity get the best of me, not this time.

We came up on a row of townhouses and approached one in the middle. Peter knocked on the glass before opening the door himself. "Aunt May?"

I unintentionally held his hand a bit tighter as he led me inside. I suddenly became very nervous, remembering how important his Aunt May was to him and I hoped she liked me.

"Peter? Is that you?" Her voice travelled from a different room. Soon, she appeared in the kitchen with her arms wide open. She curled her arms around Peter's neck and embraced him lovingly. "What a lovely surprise!"

"It's not too late, is it?" Peter checked the time on the clock above the stove. It was just after nine, but to me it felt like midnight.

"Not at all! I'm not that old, you know." She kissed Peter's cheek and noticed me sort of hiding behind him. "And you must be Olivia."

I was trapped in her arms before I could do anything except hug her back. "It's nice to meet you, Aunt May."

"Peter's told me so much about you." She gushed, winking over at Peter. "He showed me that candid photo of you in the Park."

I crossed my arms appropriately, shooting a death glare in his direction. "Did he, now?"

He shrugged innocently. "I can't stay too humble, Aunt May."

"Well come in, I was just making myself some tea. Would you like a cup?"

I imagined the warmth and comfort that first sip would give me. "Yes, please."

We all sat at a little round table and talked about Peter, leaving out the spider-related things. We talked about his job taking pictures of Spiderman, then we talked about our photography class. We talked about my job at Toys 'R Us, too.

Peter told her about my brother. She reached across the table and squeezed my hand, and it was one of those rare occasions when I actually felt better. Aunt May understood what I was going through just as much as Peter did.

We didn't stay very long, just long enough to drink my cup of tea. When it was time to leave, Aunt May wouldn't let us escape without some homemade cookies.

"Come back and visit soon, both of you, okay?" She kissed us both goodbye.

"Of course." Peter promised.

On the walk back to the alley, I started to feel my eyelids dragging down again. I'd forgotten how exhausted I was. "She's so sweet." I told him, hugging his arm as we walked.

He made an agreeing sound in his throat. I bet he was tired, too. It was a long day for both of us.

. . . . . . . .

By the time we made it home I was in hysterics from being so incredibly tired. I could barely remember what it was that made me laugh so damn hard, but the laughter kept bursting my belly anyway.

I nearly collapsed when I opened my door. Peter was chuckling behind me, but he wasn't as loopy as I was. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were drunk."

That only made me laugh harder; I even snorted on the end of it. I reached to flip on the lights, but I noticed they were already on. I also noticed the two people sitting on my sofa, watching me snort in laughter like a crazy person.

My parents.

My laughter never quite stopped, even though I was very surprised. "Mom. Dad. What're you guys doing here?"

My mother shared a concerned glance with my father before looking back at me. "Where have you been? We've been trying to contact you all night."

I jabbed a thumb vaguely over my shoulder. "We were out. What's wrong?"

Mom barely made eye contact with Peter. "We've only just heard about Chase...we wanted to make sure you were alright."

As always, anything having to do with that man wiped my smile away instantaneously.

"Honey, why didn't you say anything?" Mom jumped up from her seat and rushed to console me - something that didn't need to be done. "You don't have to keep it all to yourself."

I stared at her silently, wondering what an appropriate thing would be to say.

"Who's this?" Dad asked, referencing Peter.

I turned out of my mother's arms to see Peter not quite past the door frame. "He's Peter." I said simply.

Peter gained the courage to step across the threshold and offer his hand to my dad. "Peter Parker, sir."

"A new friend?" Mom asked, a tone in her voice I didn't really like so much.

"My boyfriend." I corrected, even though I hated that word.

They shared another glance before switching focus to Peter. "Oh." They said together.

There wasn't much talking at that point. Dad squinted carefully as he inspected Peter's face, while Mom frowned at the water marks on his pants that matched the bottom hem of my dress.

"A lot has changed since the last time I saw you." I said cautiously. "But it's all for the better."

Mom rubbed her hands over my shoulders again, unfortunately touching my stupid bullet graze injury.

"My God! What happened!?" She forced my arm into better light.

"It's nothing you need to worry about, I promise." I tried to hide it before -

"That looks like a bullet wound." Dad noted. He looked up at me with a sense of fear in his eyes. "What the hell happened, kid?"

"I'm fine! It's fine, you'll just have to trust me." My sleepy giggles were turning grumpy. I wasn't prepared to have this conversation with my parents.

"I'm tired of secrets, Olivia." Mom said, gripping my arm and cutting off the circulation. "You tell us what happened right now."

I almost rolled my eyes. "Mom, really -"

"Don't disrespect your mother." Dad warned me, his voice that firm and deep tone I remembered from childhood. "What happened?"

Peter wasn't looking at me. He kept his face down, his forehead cupped in his hand. I wasn't sure what that meant.

I sighed. "I was grazed by a bullet."

"How?" Mom's voice was desperate.

I checked Peter again, still averting his eyes. "I guess I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But it's fine, I'm healing now. Don't fret over it. Promise me you won't, okay?"

I hated that Mom was on the verge of tears. She brushed her fingers over my face. "Don't do this anymore, baby. We love you, and we want to hear from you."

I just nodded, although my heart was breaking as I realized what I was putting them through. They'd lost their son to a bullet, and they just as easily could have lost me.

I really needed sleep.

. . . . . . . .

I could see my bed from his arms. After my parents left, Peter picked my feet up from under me and carried me to my room like a princess. The bed was practically begging me to slide into it and stay there forever.

"Don't you want to get changed first?" He asked, turning his chin to speak near my ear.

I honestly didn't care that I was still wearing my dress. It was comfortable enough to sleep in. "No."

Peter smiled at that and placed me carefully in my bed, like a baby. I could barely keep my eyes open any longer.

Onyx jumped on the bed beside me and rested her chin in the crease of my arm. I usually didn't allow her to sleep in the bed with me, but I didn't have the heart or the energy to kick her out.

"That looks comfortable." Peter said quietly, watching my sleepy fingers run over Onyx's fur.

"It is," I sighed, closing my eyes for a few seconds. I felt him pull the blankets up and over my knees, my waist, my tummy, and my shoulders. I found that my eyes were practically sealed shut.

"Thank you for today." He whispered, his hand in my hair and his thumb running over my forehead. "I wouldn't have been able to get through all that without you."

"Anytime." I murmured.

"I was just worried Stark and the rest of them were inviting me out of pity. I didn't want to be part of some charity project, you know?"

I nodded. He shifted and became a little more comfortable on my bed.

"But honestly, they're all freaks. I know I don't have any room to talk, but I don't think I'm _that_ weird, am I?"

I shook my head.

"And I'm sorry about ditching you this morning. I had to figure out if the whole thing would benefit me or if I was walking into group therapy in disguise."

I giggled, half asleep. "Avengers Anonymous." It didn't sound half bad; maybe I would participate.

He kissed me with a smile on his face. "Go to sleep."

He didn't need to tell me twice.


	5. Chapter 5

_**AVENGERS ANONYMOUS**_

_FIVE: ENVIED _

* * *

.:::.

I was finishing the last part of my shift on the ferris wheel at Toys 'R Us when a little chubby kid started harassing me.

"Hello? Lady, can I get on now?" The boy waved his money in my face.

"Oh, right." I took his ten and gave him change. I pressed the button to stop the cradle and opened the door for him to get inside. "Here you go."

He rolled his eyes at me before he planted himself inside. It didn't bother me like he wanted it to. I was distracted, watching Pepper Potts chit-chat with my manager, Daniel. He'd been really disappointed when Spiderman couldn't make his special appearance, but now Pepper was arranging for Iron Man to show his face along with the others, including Spiderman.

"Excuse me!" I focused back on my stupid job again with the boy's shrill voice. "Are you going to start it up or what?"

I never started the ferris wheel again. "Oh, right." I said. Again. The ferris wheel started to spin, lifting that annoying child out of my sight.

I chewed the inside of my cheek, waiting for Pepper to finish up. I knew presenting himself alongside earth's mightiest heroes would be great for his publicity, but I still worried about Peter. People in the city were so divided, and we couldn't know for sure if the Avengers would be enough to change their minds.

Pepper tapped me on the shoulder, startling me a little. I smiled, embarrassed for jumping. "Oh, hi."

"How much to ride?" She asked, watching the colorful wheel spin.

"Five dollars for three minutes." I snorted. "Overpriced, I know."

She smirked at me. "Well, Daniel is going to check his schedule and give me a call as soon as he can."

I nodded despite that knot in my stomach. "Good." I stopped the Ferris wheel and allowed the little brat to get out of his cradle. He stuck his nose up at me as he walked by.

"I just spoke with Tony; Peter's still tinkering around."

I chuckled. "Figures." Peter had been over there four times in under a week, doing who knows what with his long lost twin-genius Tony Stark.

Pepper rolled her eyes playfully. "I know. Is your shift over soon? I can give you a ride if you'd like?"

I still had about fifteen minutes left, but sweet-talking Daniel would be easy, especially with Pepper Potts at my side. "Sure, if you don't mind."

. . . . . . . .

Pepper stepped inside the elevator first. I didn't even see a stairwell to use as another option - not that I would have actually climbed a hundred flights of stairs.

I closed my eyes and took in a breath, hoping to keep my irrational fear from Pepper. It was stupid to be afraid, especially since I spent more time flying around with Peter. Somehow, I found elevators more frightening.

We reached the top floor and the silver doors finally released me from their prison.

"Sir, Miss Potts has returned." The automated voice I'd come to know as Jarvis warned them once we entered. He had to speak over the loud music playing.

"Party's over." Tony reached for a remote and the music faded out. "Parker's been helping me work on some stuff, so I gave him a little extra inspiration today."

I watched Peter toy around with the web shooter on his wrist. He pressed on the sensor and three strands of webbing shot out at the same time. He smiled a little at his success.

"See? Told you it would work." Tony pat Peter's shoulder as he walked by, asking Pepper if she'd brought any lunch back with her.

I moved to stand over Peter's shoulder. "That's neat." I said, wrapping my arms around his neck from behind. "How long did it take you to do that?"

"Uh," He said absently. He never finished the thought.

"Have you eaten anything today?"

He nodded, still occupied by that damn web shooter.

"Peter." I tested him.

"I did, I ate...I ate before I came."

"The last bite of my breakfast sandwich doesn't count." He still wasn't paying attention, so I stole the strange little tool he was using.

"Hey!"

"Finally, eye contact has been made." I smirked at him, holding the tool behind my back. "I thought you said you weren't going to get wrapped up in all this stuff?"

"I'm not, I'm just messing around." I could tell he was getting antsy. "Come on," He asked impatiently, holding out his hand.

"What about your school work?"

"I'll get around to it." He tried to steal it back.

"That's what you said yesterday."

"You're behind, too."

"I know, but I can't catch up if I have to come and drag you out of here every day!"

He groaned in defeat, rising from his chair and taking the glasses off his face. "Yes, Mom."

"Party pooper." Tony coughed at me.

"He'll thank me later." I rubbed the back of his shoulder kindly.

"Just stick around a little longer. I'm expecting a certain god will be stopping by on his way back to Asgard."

I blinked. "As-what?"

"Then we have to stay!" Peter looked at me with these puppy dog eyes I just couldn't stand to deny. "Just a little longer?"

I pursed my lips, contemplating my decision.

"I'll let you try on one of my suits." Tony offered.

It sounded quite tempting. "Fine. But only for a little while. We can't procrastinate too much or -"

I was cut off my a low but mighty rumble of thunder and a flash of lightning to go with it. I jumped out of my skin; it sounded like it was right outside...

"Looks like it won't be that long." Tony said.

I felt unworthy in his presence, staring openly at the figure in the glass doorway. He was tall, and heavily built - just large in general. His golden hair and long red cape billowed in the gust of wind from the mini thunderstorm he created. He held a massive hammer in his powerful grip, but a friendly grin consumed his face.

"My old metal friend! I cannot explain why I've missed you."

"How's it going, Big Guy?" Tony approached Thor and casually shook his hand. I couldn't see anything casual about approaching such an unearthly being.

"I hope all has been well in my absence."

Tony shrugged. "Can't complain." He remembered Peter and I basically on our knees in awe. "Oh, I'd like to introduce you to some new friends of mine."

When his eyes met mine I froze in place. I saw out of the corner of my eye that Peter was as still as stone, only his throat flexing with a gulp in sync with mine.

Tony guided the god forward. "Here we have Peter Parker, our friendly neighborhood Spiderman."

"Spider-man?" Thor wondered aloud.

"He's a man that possesses the menacing and arachnid-like characteristics of a spider."

Thor's face was priceless.

Tony sighed. "Spiders...they have eight legs, a bunch of eyes, spin webs to catch prey?"

Thor nodded. "I believe Jane has mentioned before that she is not very fond of those. We don't have them in Asgard." He looked Peter up and down thoroughly. "But he only has two legs?"

"Right, well that's the new guy." Tony gestured towards Peter again.

"It's an honor to meet you...Thor." Peter held out his hand cautiously and Thor gladly shook it.

"You as well, Spider-man."

Now it was my turn.

Tony sensed my star-struck anxiety and milked it for what it was worth. "And this is his girlfriend-that-occasionally-takes-responsibility- as-his-mother, the lovely Olivia O'Neil."

"Hi." I cleared my squeaky throat. "P-pleasure to meet you." I barely even lifted my hand.

Thor hooked his fingers beneath mine and pressed his lips to my unworthy knuckles. "The pleasure is all mine, fair maiden."

I laughed out loud, my temperature sky-rocketing. "It's a little warm in here, isn't it?"

Tony checked one of his holographic screens. "Nope. Seventy-two point four. Very comfortable, if you ask me."

I felt Peter weave his fingers through my free hand. "Maybe we should get going."

"I've only just arrived. You must not want to leave so soon?" Thor dropped my hand very politely.

I looked away quickly, enough to sense what I read as jealousy on Peter's face. "We can stay a while." I offered. "You can finish up whatever you were doing."

Tony spotted his envy as well. "Come on, Spidey. Loosen up, shrug that big green monster off your back and let go a little. Shall I get us all some drinks?"

I couldn't help but smirk to myself. This was going to be fun.

. . . . . . . .

"Asgard is very different from this realm." Thor explained to me. "Everything is much larger, and the people dress in the boldest armor in the universe."

I glanced over his current wardrobe. "I can tell." I said.

He laughed, a deep and throaty sound. It was contagious. "You remind me very much of Jane. She finds my tales of other realms to be whimsical."

Peter heard that laugh from across the room and he peeked over at us for about the hundredth time.

"Is that why you're here?" I asked Thor. "To see her?"

"I very rarely have the privilege of visiting her when I come to this realm. I must put my priorities as an Asgardian above all else, including Jane." He smiled again. "But I did visit her today."

I smiled back. "Good, I'm glad you had the chance to see her. It must be very hard, living in different realms."

Thor continued on about how precious his Jane was to him. I flickered my eyes over to Peter. He turned away quickly, already caught listening. He pretended to be working in his web shooters, but I could tell from a distance away he was barely getting anything done.

"So, is it true that your hammer can only be lifted by your hands?" I wondered, eyeing the giant weapon on the floor near his feet.

"It is all but true. Try it for yourself." He lifted it up on the coffee table between us, the handle tilted towards me.

I hesitated.

"Go on, prove yourself to be a foolish and puny human." He laughed again.

Peter's attention was already gained.

I wrapped my fingers around the leather-bound handle and lifted, though it didn't move at all. Even if the average man could lift it, I would probably still fail. My muscles were nonexistent.

"It is true." I pretended to be out of breath. "You're so strong!" I added that last part only because I knew Peter was still listening.

I took his scoff as a reward.

. . . . . . . .

I stumbled a little as we landed on Peter's balcony, my balance disturbed because he didn't make sure I was balanced before walking away. He usually did.

At first, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He said flatly, finding a clean towel in his closet and stalking toward the bathroom.

I knew exactly why he was acting this way. "Don't be a baby."

"I don't know what you're talking about." He left the door open and leaned over to turn on the hot water in the shower.

"I was only kidding around with you, Peter." I told him, lying back on his bed and hugging a pillow. "Aren't I allowed to have a little fun?"

He didn't respond, the hot water in the shower making the only sound.

It was starting to become a little too much. "Hello? I'm talking to you."

"You know what I don't understand?" His voice echoed a bit in the bathroom. "How one minute you're set on dragging us home to do our stupid schoolwork, and then this pro-wrestler wannabe walks in and suddenly you want to stay all night long?"

"Peter, he's Thor, the god of thunder!" I said it like the most obvious thing in the world. "You have to admit you were excited to meet him, too?"

"Sure I was, until you started flirting with him." The way he spit out the word was really funny.

I laughed, this time without humor. "I told you, I was kidding around! Besides, he's in love with that girl Jane. It's not like he made something out of it."

"You don't know that for sure, do you?"

Something in his voice, something very sensitive came to the surface. I suddenly felt guilty for hurting his feelings.

I rolled out of the bed and stepped into the steamy bathroom, watching Peter's head hanging down over the sink, in front of the mirror. He'd already taken off his shirt.

I stood behind him again and curled my arms around his waist, squeezing him lightly in a backwards hug. His skin was slightly sticky from the steam. "I'm sorry." I kissed him between his shoulder blades. "I love you."

I felt his hands caress my forearms, but still no love returned.

"How am I supposed to make it up to you?"

He took a long, deep breath and answered quickly. "Spend the night with me." I heard the smirk in his voice.

I smirked back. "I would've done that, anyway."


	6. Chapter 6

_**AVENGERS ANONYMOUS**_

_SIX: CAUGHT_

* * *

.:::.

I took a tiny sip of my hot tea and read over the few paragraphs I'd typed so far. I was on a roll, and I was almost up to date with all the schoolwork I'd put off for obvious reasons. I tried not to think about how incredibly boring it was and how long I'd been sitting there. It had to be done.

Onyx was stretched out at my feet. She was getting lazier and lazier every day that went by without our walks in the park. I considered taking her when I finished my paper. It gave me motivation to get it done quicker.

I finished another sentence and noticed a very subtle change in the atmosphere of my apartment. It was difficult to explain, and the sensation I felt was bizarre...almost like I developed my own version of a spider sense.

I didn't turn around. "I really hope you aren't leaving footprints on my ceiling again."

I heard him sigh, ashamed of his inability to surprise me. "Dammit. You've gotten better at that."

I twirled in my spinning chair and looked up at him, mid-crawl on my ceiling in his full spider getup. "Seriously, I'm going to have to repaint the ceiling if you keep walking all over it."

"Relax, there aren't any footprints." He was partially cut off by Onyx's crazy bark that she did when she was still half asleep and felt threatened.

"Shh, it's okay." I pet her head, but she kept growling. "See? Now you've upset the dog."

He jumped down from the ceiling and crouched down near her. "Hey, girl. It's just me." Peter tugged off his mask and smiled at her. It took her a moment, but she skipped over to him and started licking his face. "That's a good girl."

I tried not to let him see my heart melting. "Where are you going? I thought you were supposed to be lying low." I turned back to my computer screen.

"I'm sick of taking those back alleyways to get to Stark's Tower." He complained. "From here, it's a straight shot, and it only takes a few minutes."

"You're going back there again?" I changed a word I didn't like in my last paragraph. "Peter, what did I tell you about -"

"I know, I know, I already finished it."

I twirled around again. "You finished all of your work?"

He nodded seriously.

I didn't want to believe it. "Did you forget to eat again?"

"Nope." He took a short pause. "But I may have forgotten to sleep this time." He yawned, scratching Onyx's belly as she stretched out for him. We always made jokes about her being too easy. "I'm meeting with Dr. Banner to start working on interpreting those DNA codes."

I sighed heavily and turned back to my own work. "You're going to kill yourself if you keep this up." I warned him.

"I'm fine." He promised, his voice much closer. He rested his chin on my shoulder. "Why don't you come with me?"

"You know I have absolutely no business being over there."

"Of course you do. You can help if you want."

"I can't help."

"Why not?"

"I'm not smart like you." I gave him the simplest answer I could think of while trying to focus on my work.

"It's not hard, it's just matching up purines with pyrimidines and looking for the mutations hidden in the sequences."

I laughed. He didn't see what was so funny. "Thank you for the offer, but I think I'll have to pass."

Peter took in a breath and let the air out through his lips. He sounded like a horse, and his breath tickled my neck. I let him stay there for a while, only because he wasn't distracting me. But then he started brushing the tip of his nose over my skin, nuzzling up to me like a kitten.

I smiled because it tickled a lot. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." He claimed, drawing a line with his nose up the side of my neck and placing a soft little kiss behind my ear. He kissed me repeatedly in a line all the way down to my shoulder. He must have felt me become tense. "Don't mind me." He added.

I cleared my throat and continued proof reading, although I read the same sentence four times over. I was still proud of myself for resisting him for so long, but soon his lips reached that spot just beneath my jaw. He knew exactly what that spot did to me, which is why he'd been purposely avoiding it until then.

My breath suddenly caught in my throat, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of successfully remembering the precise location of that damn spot. "Don't you have somewhere to be." I said it as a statement.

I was actually surprised and a bit disappointed to feel him back away from me so effortlessly. "Yes, I do."

I peeked over my shoulder at him. He was smoothing the mask back over his face. "Don't stay out too late. Remember we have that thing tomorrow morning." I reminded him.

"I know." And then he tumbled right off the balcony. He didn't like to linger on the subject of his special appearance at Toys 'R Us. It made him nervous, and I didn't blame him. It made me nervous, too.

I took another look at my unfinished paper and grimaced, slapping the laptop shut. Onyx looked up at me expectantly.

"How about that walk, huh?"

. . . . . . . .

"Olivia? Where is she - oh, there you are!" Daniel scuttled over to me. "Did you bring your camera?"

I folded the last Avengers t-shirt and showed him my camera dangling around my neck.

"Oh, good! Be sure to take lots of photos so we can post them on the website." I could see the nervous sweat building at his hairline.

"Are they here yet?" I looked to the front of the store at the tables designated to each Avenger, including Spiderman. A series of red ropes were shaped to form organized lines for autographs and pictures.

"We aren't expecting them for another few minutes. Do you thing everything looks alright?" His eyes bounced around all the decorations and balloons set up around the store.

"It looks great!" I recognized the voice over my shoulder, and after seeing the expression on Daniel's face I realized I should have acted more surprised.

I turned to find Tony Stark hidden in one of his incredible iron suits. He lifted the mask to reveal his face. "Seriously, I couldn't have done it better myself."

Daniel managed to pull himself together. "Mr. Stark! Thanks so much for coming!" He grabbed one of Tony's metal hands and shook it in both of his.

"Anything for charity." He looked at me doubtfully. "This is for charity, right?"

"The children's hospital." I confirmed.

"Have the others arrived with you?" Daniel asked eagerly.

Tony checked over his shoulder. "They should be in any minute. I lost some of them in the Barbie house."

Sure enough, the other four were making their way out of the girls' section of the store. I heard Daniel gasp. They were quite the sight, each donning their own unique super suit - except for Dr. Banner, of course.

"That Barbie house is really something." Clint said.

But one was still missing.

I leaned over toward Tony as Daniel introduced himself to the others. "Where's Peter?"

"How would I know? You're his mother."

That joke was getting old and I was starting to panic. "He wouldn't just ditch us, would he?" What if he was so nervous that he didn't show? What would happen then?

"Give him a call, maybe he's taking the scenic route." He suggested.

I dug in my pocket for my phone and listened to it ring. "Excuse me," I removed myself from the commotion and started biting my nails.

It kept ringing and ringing and ringing.

He didn't pick up.

I sighed, debating whether I should call him again. I knew I should have made sure he was okay that morning, before I left myself. Frankly, I was just as anxious as he was, and I just wanted to get it over with.

I heard something behind me and whipped around to discover Spiderman squirting me with a can of Silly String. I bet under that stupid mask he was smiling.

"You almost gave me a heart attack!" I slapped my phone shut and marched over to him.

"I'm not late, am I?"

He was only late by five minutes. "Not really." I admitted.

"Cool shirt."

I looked down at my red Spiderman t-shirt. We were selling them along with Iron Man, Captain America, and Hulk for the special event. "I had trouble deciding which one I wanted." I teased.

"Obviously you made the right decision."

I bit my lip. "I don't know..." He wrapped me up in his arms in a playful hug. I laughed a little and squeezed him back. "Are you still nervous?"

I heard him swallow before he spoke again. "A little good luck kiss wouldn't hurt."

I smiled and rolled his mask up over his chin and lips to kiss him for good luck.

"Oh! I am so sorry!" Daniel was shielding his eyes.

I quickly tugged down Peter's mask and stepped away from him. "Is something wrong, Daniel?"

"I-I just wanted to see if you got a hold of - I mean, if you reached Spiderman - but obviously that's unnecessary." He laughed nervously. "Okay, whenever you're ready, we'd like to get set up." He slipped away faster than he appeared.

"Oh, crap." I muttered, imagining what he must have thought after catching me kissing the newest Avenger.

Spiderman just started laughing.

I grabbed his wrist and towed him behind me. "Come on, you've got a city to win over."


	7. Chapter 7

_**AVENGERS ANONYMOUS**_

_SEVEN: UNPLEASANT ACQUAINTANCE_

* * *

_.:::. _

My smile was so big and bright that it was beginning to hurt my cheeks. "Okay, now show me your web shooters!"

The four kids huddled around Spiderman and immediately stuck out their arms, fingers bent in that famous web-slinging way. Spidey played along as well.

"Perfect." I positioned my camera and focused in on them. "Say cheese!"

I snapped the photo and grinned even more at how perfect it was. "That's great! We'll be sure to post that on the website." The kids gave Spiderman a parting high-five and ran excitedly back to their parents.

I proudly showed Spidey the last few pictures I'd taken. "My memory card is almost full!"

"Seriously?" He sounded stunned behind that mask. We couldn't have ever predicted the attention he was receiving - and this time, it was positive attention!

"Excuse us," Spidey and I looked up at two women about my age wearing what looked like the kid's size Spiderman shirts. "Can we get a picture, too?"

I felt my lip curl, but I quickly composed myself. "Sure." I stepped back and allowed them to stand with Spiderman in my place.

The brunette on his left stood a little too close to him, wrapping her arm around his back and placing her other hand on his chest, over the spider symbol. The blonde on his right chose a similar pose, but added an extra kiss on his cheek.

I pressed my lips into a hard line and put the camera up to my face. "Say cheese." I muttered.

I openly glared at them as they peeled their bodies away. Spiderman just scratched at the back of his neck.

"Hey," Tony Stark leaned toward Spiderman as he signed four autographs at once. "Just an FYI, pretty girls and spandex don't exactly go together."

I cleared my throat and dropped my camera around my neck. "Okay, we'll I'm going to see if I can find something to shoot near Captain America." I stalked away, allowing my jealousy to get the best of me. Spidey was already too occupied with some more fans to notice.

I should have expected some jealousy to rack up inside me, especially now that his fans were pouring in faster than he could manage. And of course he had fans of all ages, from 9 to 99. I guessed it bothered me to know that at this rate, he could have anyone he wanted, even grown women that could fit into kid t-shirts.

But I knew firsthand how easy he was to fall in love with. Why was I so surprised that everyone else felt the same way?

While making my way toward the other end of the tables, I spotted Hawkeye shooting some foam arrows at a magnetic board with a group of kids. I picked up my camera and took a few photos, finally smiling to myself again.

"Olivia," Clint said my name, and I dropped my camera. He was offering me his toy bow and arrow set. "Give it a try."

I bit my lip. "Oh, I don't think I..." The children surrounding him began cheering, actually jumping up and down to convince me to play with them.

"It's fool proof." Clint added, holding his bow out farther.

I sighed. "Oh, fine." I took the plastic bow and aimed it at the colorful magnetic target. The foam arrow didn't find the target, but it did manage to stick at the center of the star on Captain America's shield.

The children squealed in delight. Captain America plucked the arrow off the shield and looked directly to Hawkeye, but soon discovered the bow in my hands.

"Nice aim." He complimented, smiling at me and making my face hot again.

I swallowed nervously. "It might be fool-proof, but it isn't Olivia-proof."

Hawkeye chuckled. "I don't know if I'm impressed or insulted."

I felt someone's hand brush over my shoulder and I turned towards it. Daniel was beaming for obvious reasons. "There's someone here asking for you." He stepped away, revealing a familiar looking man, but I couldn't quite put my finger on who he was.

My heart felt heavy in my chest. That crazy look in the man's eyes brought back some terrible feelings inside me, something I still couldn't pinpoint.

He grinned at me. "Hey there, sweetheart."

I knew right then who had just barged his way right back into my life. All that was missing was his red knit hat.

I felt immediately faint, but I couldn't make a scene. I offered the plastic bow to Hawkeye and didn't look up to see if he noticed my fear.

I walked shakily out of the way and waited for the monster to follow my lead. "What the hell are you doing here?" I asked under my breath.

"You didn't think I was dead, did you?" He joked.

I didn't laugh. I didn't do anything.

He waved his arms out at the scene around him. "I just came to see how well Spidey's doing." His eyes stared deeply into mine. "And how are you, sweetheart?"

I watched Spiderman behind him, interacting with plenty of fans, completely unaware of my current situation. "You have no business being here." I said.

"Don't I? I'm just as interested in the bug as you are." He winked at me. I was ready to throw up. The only reason he wasn't arrested was because the stubbly one took all the blame. They acted like they were in a cult, sacrificing themselves the way they did.

"Don't you see?" I masked my fear with an angry tone of voice. "You're the only one in this whole damn city that hates him now. You can't win."

He laughed almost as joyfully as the children nearby. "You're wrong about that, sweetheart. I have plenty of followers, and with plenty of events like this one in the future, it's only a matter of time before -"

"Sorry to interrupt," Captain America's presence behind me gave me strength to hold my shoulders a little higher and feel a million times safer than I did before. "There are some fans over here that would like a photo."

I nodded, half relieved and half afraid to let red knit hat-less walk off again. "Okay." After I looked away, I couldn't look back.

Captain America cupped his gentle hands over my shoulders. "Is everything alright?"

I knew he sensed something was wrong. I didn't even see anyone around waiting for a photo; he'd made it up to save me. "Um...yes, everything's fine."

My poor lying skills didn't fool anyone. "Who was that man?" He asked, trying to find him in the crowd. I knew he would be long gone.

"Just an unpleasant acquaintance." I said smoothly, because it wasn't a complete lie. "Thank you for that, though."

He nodded. Luckily, he let it go. The rest of the afternoon left me a bit tense, and I was ready to go home as soon as everything was cleaned up.

I didn't approach Peter about the incident until we were back in my apartment. He was still running off of sheer adrenaline, because I was certain he didn't eat anything all day, which was why I was going to microwave him some leftover pizza.

He opened the box when I took it out of the fridge and snagged two slices cold. I simply stuffed the box back in the fridge. "Peter, today I -"

"Oh, wait, did you see that guy with the scrapbook of all the newspaper clippings of stories about me? He had them from back when I was in high school!" Peter was going on and on about how many awesome fans he'd met in the duration of the day.

"I didn't, but -"

"And those kids that made their own comic strips? How cool is that!" He took a bite from each of his two slices.

"Peter." I used a firm tone, but he started off again.

"Or what about the -"

"Red knit hat stopped by the store today." I blurted angrily.

Peter stopped mid-chew and stared at me. "He did?"

I closed my eyes, feeling a headache pounding inside me. "Yeah."

"Well, what'd he say?"

I rested my back against the wall. "He's not finished trying to kill you." I summed up accurately.

Peter barely thought about it for a second. "It's fine, we'll just be more careful."

I scoffed. "Peter, I am not going to put myself through a situation like that again -"

"You won't have to." He promised. "I won't let him do that again."

I shrugged. "You know, I was thinking maybe if we told Tony about it, he could help us -"

"No."

I blinked, a bit insulted by his recent tendency to interrupt me. "He mentioned something about showing up at more events. You'll have to be extremely careful."

He brightened his mood again. "Don't worry about that creep anymore, okay?" Peter kissed my forehead and tossed the remaining crusts of his pizza to Onyx, waiting patiently below us.

It was only one day, but the love he received from his fans gave him enough confidence to just brush off a threat from one of the most dangerous people I'd ever known.

Who knew what any more attention would do to him?


	8. Chapter 8

_**AVENGERS ANONYMOUS**_

_EIGHT: STUPID GIRL_

* * *

.:::.

Jarvis acknowledged my arrival when I stepped out of the elevator. Tony was on the phone, holding a finger up, asking me to wait for him to finish. I tucked my hair behind my ear and I waited.

When Tony hung up, he grinned at me. "There's my favorite Toys 'R Us employee."

I smiled half-heartedly, not so much in the mood for his playful side. "Peter isn't here, is he?"

Tony shook his head, bending down to check beneath the lab tables they usually worked on. "Nope. He hasn't been here in a few days."

"I know." I muttered. "He's been busy saving cats stuck in trees and old ladies with stolen purses."

Tony nodded. "He enjoys the appreciation now, huh?"

He did enjoy it, probably a little too much. He was gone morning till night, longer than he'd ever been gone before, and whenever he made it back home, he'd crash on the bed before I could say goodnight. It was worse than spending ten hours a day tinkering with Tony.

"That's good, the kid deserves a boost of self esteem." He shrugged, and I would have too, if it weren't for my constant anxiety over it.

"Do you have a minute to talk?" I was under the impression that I needed to make some sort of appointment to speak with him.

Tony nodded, not entirely certain. "No promises, but sure. What's on your mind?"

I gestured toward those fancy and expensive sofas, asking him to take a seat.

Tony laughed, but followed my lead. "Oh, so this is serious?"

I half smiled. "Sort of serious, yes." Peter would kill me for telling Tony about Red knit hat, but I wasn't going to wait around for bad things to happen again. "Um, Peter never told you about -

Tony's eyes became very wide. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

"What? No! God, no!" My whole body felt hot with embarrassment.

Tony held up his hands defensively. "Just making sure. Please, continue."

I tried to continue after getting all flustered. "You knew about those gangs of people that were set on taking down Spiderman, right?" I waited for him to nod. "Well, two of them pulled this stunt and kidnapped me - not without the help of my ex, but..."

"Oh, right, Peter did tell me about that." Tony said. "They kidnapped you after your crime fighting days."

I shrugged. "I wouldn't call it crime fighting...but the point is, only one of them got arrested. The more dangerous one showed up at the toy store the other day and threatened us again."

"So you're worried he'll try and get Spidey?" I nodded. "He really can't do anything on his own, he's only one guy."

"He has some followers." I mentioned. "I don't know how many, but he doesn't need a ton of them to hurt Peter."

"What about me?"

I shot up from the sofa like my feet were on springs. "Hey!" I tried to sound casually surprised, but in reality I was openly startled. "W-What are you doing here?"

Peter was dressed like himself, his eyes bouncing back and forth behind his glasses between Tony and I. "Were you talking about me?" He asked suspiciously.

"No...no, we weren't talking about you. Were we?" I shook my head and looked for Tony to shake his head with me.

"I'm just an innocent bystander." Tony pleaded, getting up from the sofa and abandoning me with the equivalent of Bruce Banner on a really bad day.

I started walking towards him, my arms held out comfortingly. "Peter, I just wanted to -"

"I heard everything." He interrupted. "And you just lied to me."

I felt worse with every passing second. "I only want you to be safe."

"I can take care of myself. There is absolutely no reason for you to be here right now." He was angry, maybe even disappointed in me, but the composure he kept was even more frightening.

"You can ask for help, you know." I told him. "You shouldn't try to solve this on your own if you don't have to."

"There's nothing to solve! Nothing else is going to happen!" So much for keeping composure. "Why are you always so worried about that?"

I stepped closer to keep my voice quieter. "Don't you think it's better to be safe than sorry?"

"Yes, but it isn't something that concerns you. You're worrying about nothing." He pet my hair lovingly, but I didn't like the way he seemed to be talking down to me.

I swatted his hand away. "Are you kidding? It absolutely concerns me!"

Peter laughed and actually had the balls to roll his eyes at me. "I'm not going to talk about this right now."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Apparently, my opinion and my concern didn't mean anything to him, not after everybody else started boosting his confidence as a hero. "Fine. I'm going home, then."

"You really shouldn't have been here to begin with." I didn't miss the crack of the whip in his tone.

"Then I won't do anything anymore!" I flung my hands in the air and dropped them as if I were letting go all ties I had with Spiderman. "You go ahead and take care of yourself, Peter. I won't worry about you anymore."

"You can't go home by yourself." He complained, talking down to me again. "It's too dark."

"I can take care of myself." I mocked him, and I left without realizing I had no idea how to get home.

The only route I'd ever taken with him was through those sketchy back alleyways, and there was no way in hell I was taking those, especially in the dark. I tried turning up blocks to find a street I recognized, but I only ended up getting lost in some other sketchy alleyway.

I hugged my arms close to my body and imagined I was invisible. I wasn't a stupid girl, and only stupid girls walked through sketchy alleyways by themselves at night. Nothing would happen to me if I just kept walking.

It got to the point where I'd been walking aimlessly for thirty minutes and I needed to get directions. My choices were limited. I could have called Peter, but I was still pissed and I didn't want anything to do with him. The only other option I saw was asking a stranger for directions.

I saw a man up ahead, his cellphone pressed to his ear as he talked loudly to the person on the other end. He was certainly drunk, and only a stupid girl would ask a drunk man in a sketchy alley for directions at night.

I bit my tongue while approaching him. He was sober enough to notice me waiting there and abruptly hung up. "Maaaay I help you missss?" He slurred.

"Can you give me directions back out to 42nd? I'm lost, and I'm trying to get home." I mentally slapped myself in the face. Only stupid girls told drunk guys in sketchy alleyways they were lost at night.

"Ccccertainly. Follow me." He motioned for me to tag along with an outstretched finger. I followed his staggered walk down another dark alley like any stupid girl would. It was only a matter of time before -

The air was knocked out of me when I was thrusted up against the wall. I felt his heavy drunken body pressed against me and gasped on air that wasn't in my lungs.

He covered my mouth with his grimy hand and breathed his grimy breath on my face. "Sssuch a pretty girl." He chuckled darkly, bringing his free hand up to my throat. "Pretty, but very ssstupid."

I already knew I was stupid, and maybe that's why I wasn't fighting back. I felt his hands in my pockets and around my sides, searching for things to steal, including my cell phone and spare change.

"Are you done?" I asked him, my voice shaking like a leaf but my face honestly curious.

He raised his eyebrows, his glazed eyes boring into mine. "Not quite." It wasn't until he started grabbing my body in certain places that I realized I was in more trouble than I thought.

I struggled to push him away, a good shriek building in my throat. Luckily, the drunken fool was kicked away from me before he got too far. I heard some trash cans tumble over with him as he passed out partly from the hit but also from the booze in his system.

Of course, Spidey saved the day again. After he was through with the man, he turned to face me. There wasn't much light, and I didn't think he recognized me. "Are you okay, miss?"

"Fine." My voice didn't sound entirely normal. I was trembling uncontrollably. "Thank you."

I didn't want him to recognize me. I didn't want him to think I was reckless and stupid and I couldn't take care of myself like I'd said. I started walking away, still very lost.

"Wait," His voice echoed in the empty walls of the alley. He jumped down in front of me. "You forgot these." It was my phone and about thirteen dollars crumbled in his hands.

I took them quickly, accidentally hitting one of the buttons on my phone. It lit the space around us with a background photo of Peter and I in the park. He obviously saw it before I could hide it and grabbed my wrist, finally taking the time to notice it was me.

"Olivia?!" He ripped the mask off his head and grabbed my face between his hands. "What are you doing out here?!"

I smacked his hands away again. "Stop it, I'm fine. I just got lost."

"Are you crazy? Don't you know what he would've done to you if I didn't come? Why didn't you call me if you were lost?"

"I can take care of myself! I don't need Spiderman on speed dial." I tried walking away again, but it was another failed attempt.

"I just want you to be safe." He said, echoing the same words I'd said to him.

I laughed at him. "You are such a hypocrite! You can worry about me, but I can't worry about you?"

"That's not the same and you know it." He tried to play it cool, but he knew I caught him.

My head was beginning to throb with the desire to be asleep in my own bed. "I don't care, just take me home now."

"Olivia -"

"Dammit, Peter, just take me home!" I barked at him. I decided right then and there that I wasn't taking anymore of his crap. From then on, Peter was Spiderman and I was Olivia. We would simply coexist, at least until his head shrunk back down to size.


	9. Chapter 9

_**AVENGERS ANONYMOUS**_

_NINE: LAST PRIORITY_

_*Hey there. Sorry for the slow update! Hopefully this chapter makes up for it...Thanks for reading!*_

* * *

.:::.

Peter dropped me on my balcony and I stormed inside as soon as I got my footing. I felt him following me, probably trying to think of something to say to set things right again.

I went to the sink in the kitchen to wash my hands. It helped me feel a little cleaner after being mauled by that nasty guy. I grabbed the dishcloth next to the sink and started drying my hands when I looked back at him.

He stood quietly in the middle of the floor, his mask still hiding the features on his face. "Is there something you wanted to say?" I asked. "Because if not, I'm very tired and I'd like to go to bed."

I noticed him sway a little as he stood there, almost like he was losing his balance. It was strange.

"Peter?" A hint of worry was hidden in my voice. I would never be able to cover it up. He reached up to his face and weakly removed the mask. My stomach twisted when I saw how colorless his cheeks were. "Peter!" I hurried to hold his chest as he almost toppled over.

I pulled over a wooden chair, tucking my foot around the leg and dragging it until I could reach. I guided him down into the chair. His head bobbed up and down, trying to stay upright.

I held his clammy cheeks securely in my hands. "What happened to you?" I asked him, though he was obviously in no condition to answer. I let him go to run the dishcloth under the faucet and pressed the cool water to his forehead.

It seemed to give him enough energy to speak. "S'okay...I'm okay."

"You look like you're going to pass out." I said worriedly. "What's wrong? Did you eat something strange?" His eyes blinked shut and he shook his head. That's when I figured it out. "Jesus, Peter! Did you eat anything at all?"

His mumbling was incoherent. Of course he hadn't eaten anything. He was too damn busy saving the world to eat. He was probably dehydrated, too.

I moved the dishcloth around to his cheeks. "And you tell me not to worry about you..." I said quietly, choking back tears that had been building up for a while.

I gave him a tall glass of water and forced him to finish it, along with some small things to eat that would fill his stomach. Onyx finally wandered into the kitchen when she smelled food, and she rested her chin in Peter's lap.

He looked a lot better after eating and drinking, but he was still terribly weak and hazy-eyed. "You should probably get out of that suit." I said.

He shook his head and used the chair as support for getting up. "I'm fine. I'll just get back home and head to bed."

I forced his shoulders back into the chair. "No way. If you pass out, I'll never know. You'll hurt yourself. You have to stay here tonight."

I didn't miss the doubt hidden in his eyes. "You want me to stay here tonight?"

"Yes, even though you've been acting like an egotistical maniac who has obviously forgotten about the basics of survival, I want you to stay here." I folded my arms in response to his attitude.

Peter leaned back in his chair and kept his big mouth shut. For that, I was grateful.

. . . . . . . .

The dirt was still fresh over his grave. The flowers were wilted, and little sprouts of grass poked through here and there, but it was all still too fresh for my liking. Chase had only been dead for a month.

I still didn't regret avoiding his funeral. I wouldn't have felt comfortable there, and I wouldn't have had anything to say to him as he was lowered into the ground. I still didn't have anything to say to him.

I considered bringing Onyx with me to visit, but she didn't seem very interested in a walk. She was becoming terribly lazy. I wanted to be alone, anyway. All I'd brought with me were a bunch of flowers to lay on the grave - they weren't meant for Chase, but I wasn't cold hearted. I plucked out a few and placed them over the too-fresh dirt.

The rest of the flowers were reserved for my brother. I walked down a winding little path and under a few trees to reach the place where Greg was buried. The dirt on his grave was almost entirely blended in with the surrounding area. It wasn't fresh enough for the wound inside me.

I didn't linger at the cemetery. It wouldn't have been good for me. Either way, I was gone long enough for terrible things to happen, as they inevitably would. Realistically, I had only been gone for thirty minutes, and it baffled me how my life could take such a dangerous turn in such a short time.

Half of my apartment complex was engulfed in flames. Fiery, dark, and smoky flames swallowed my entire being. I stood on my block, horrified by the sight of my building on fire. I wanted to collapse right there on the street, but that wouldn't help anyone. I stayed standing.

I stayed standing because of one thing, and one thing only. I didn't care about my apartment. I didn't care about my belongings. I cared about Peter, even though we weren't on the best terms, but I stopped thinking of him when Spiderman arrived safely on the scene.

I practically slung myself into the nearest firefighter's ashy arms. "My dog! My dog, she's still in there! You have to get my dog!" The desperation grew quickly in my voice.

He frantically brushed me away. "Ma'am, there's still a lot of people trapped inside." I lost him in the chaos around me.

My chest was folding in on itself. I couldn't breathe. I watched more and more people rescued, running free of the flames, or guided to safety by the emergency crews.

Then I saw Spiderman again.

I didn't think. I just screamed. "PETER!" He didn't hear me, and I screamed again. I screamed regardless of the perplexed people around me. "PETER! THE DOG!" My voice disappeared, but I still screamed. "THE DOG!"

Spiderman slung himself into the building again. He had to know Onyx was still in there, still alone and scared and helpless inside my apartment. He had to know she was still trapped.

As I resisted a collapse of my own body, my joints became stiff and frozen. I didn't move from that spot on the sidewalk, my eyes darting all over the building at windows and balconies and any form of escape he would use when he rescued her.

The hoses on the fire trucks managed to fight their battle well, reducing the flames to small sparks and steam clouds. The air was thick with ash and debris and foggy smoke.

Spiderman finally stumbled out the lobby doors. His arms were empty.

I covered my mouth with both hands and suffocated the shriek building inside me. My eyes burned with waterfalls of tears running down my face. Just like Greg, just like Chase, just like that, my dear friend was suddenly and viciously taken from me.

I didn't crumble down to the sidewalk until a hand planted itself on my shoulder. I almost didn't feel it.

He was the firefighter from before, though the smears of black over his face made him difficult to recognize. "Does she belong to you?" I followed the rope in his hand as it trailed down to the ground and was tied around the collar of a dusty and crippled German Shepherd. My German Shepherd. My baby!

I sobbed in joy, practically laying on the sidewalk as Onyx limped into my lap, her pink tongue lapping at my face.

"She's a little beat up, but she'll be alright." The firefighter explained, scratching at her ears.

I looked up at the man, the everyday hero that he was, and I grinned with my watery eyes. "Thank you."

I embraced Onyx for a while, cradling her front paw in my hand and patting her head in my lap. I leaned over her, cuddled her in the safe and secure blanket of my arms. I listened to her wheezing and sniffling and tried not to cry any longer. There was no reason to cry. She was safe, I was safe. Peter was...

I saw his shoes before he squatted down beside me dressed as Peter Parker. His face was low, his hand rubbing over his eyebrows. "There were so many people..." He started, but trailed off and started again. "I couldn't get to her, there were so many people. Is she okay? Is she hurt?" It occurred to me then that he didn't save her. He didn't even try to save her. It was the fire department that saved her. And in both cases, she was their last priority. Yet somehow, she was alive.

I stared at Peter, traces of black left on his neck where the mask just reached. What could I say to him? We wouldn't have saved her, regardless of my pleas. He would have rescued every other human life that was in danger before tending to a worthless dog. I should have understood that, but I didn't, because he knew how much she meant to me. He knew, and he did nothing about it.

Peter frowned and reached his hand toward my face, but I leaned away. He was persistent and reached further, holding my swollen and red cheek in his hand. It was his way of asking for an apology, but I couldn't be sure he was sorry for what he did. I couldn't be sure of anything he did anymore.

. . . . . . . .

I leaned down to kiss Onyx again, petting her fur in the moonlight streaming through Aunt May's guest bedroom window. It was kind of her to let us stay there while we figured out some living arrangements. Onyx was still very weak and sickly, but she would regain strength soon.

Peter hovered in the doorway while I kneeled beside Onyx. She seemed to be floating in a light sleep, so I quietly rose to my feet.

"Listen," Peter murmured. He'd been ready to talk for a while.

I was still preparing myself, but I spoke anyway. "It was him."

He obviously didn't expect me to be so vague. "Who?"

"He knows who you are, Peter." I began walking slowly in his direction. "He knows who we are. He warned us, and you said nothing was going to happen." I heard him take in another breath to keep speaking, but I cut him short. "You said nothing was going to happen!"

"You're jumping to conclusions." He accused me of overreacting - again! "It was just a fire."

"Bullshit!" I shouted. "He started it, that son of a bitch started the fire to try and hurt us! He's going to hurt us, Peter!" Most of my emotional response was triggered by fear. Red knit hat instilled an awful fear inside me.

"Olivia, you said my name." He went on and changed the subject. "You called me by my name, don't you know how dangerous that is?"

That selfish little coward! "My dog was dying in a fire! I had to call your damn name!"

"You can't do that! I'm supposed to be able to trust you!"

"Don't you know how many people are named Peter in the world? She was going to die!"

"She's just a dog!"

I audibly gasped, a twinge of pain striking me as if he'd slapped me across the face.

He tried to mend it. "No, no, you know I didn't mean that - Dammit, Olivia, don't leave!"

"I'm not leaving!" I barked at him. "I argued with my parents for an hour to get them to let me stay here. I'm not leaving!"

"Then where the hell are you going?"

"I don't want to see you. I'm done with you, Peter Parker." My voice was calm enough to scare me into believing it. I snatched a pillow from the bed and crouched on the floor beside Onyx. My tears were silent, and as long as they stayed that way, he would never know I cried for so long.

I lost him. I might have held onto Onyx, but I was certain I lost Peter forever. I wasn't entirely sure I wanted him back.


End file.
